- Stylish & minimal design
- Long battery life
- Tile tracking
- Long battery life
- No ANC
- Bass can be too heavy
- Occasional Bluetooth drops
Skullcandy’s Grind earbuds deliver punchy bass, solid comfort, and impressive battery life for the price, backed by handy extras like Tile tracking. However, the lack of ANC and only average noise isolation hold them back in noisy environments, making them better suited for casual listeners than commuters or frequent travelers.
I really loved the unique design of Skullcandy’s earbuds and have already tested many of their products, including the Dime series, Rail, and more.
But I had skipped the Grind series, so I decided to give them a try, finally. This model is a bit old now, and there are many new, affordable, feature-packed earbuds on the market.
If you’re thinking about buying the Skullcandy Grind, this review will help you decide whether they’re still worth it today.
Skullcandy Grind – Specifications
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Audio codecs | SBC |
| Battery (earbuds) | ~9 hours (single charge) |
| Battery (case) | ~31 hours (charging case) |
| Total battery | Up to ~40 hours (earbuds + case) |
| Rapid charge | 10 min charge ≈ 2 hours playback |
| Water & dust rating | IP55 (sweat / rain resistant) |
| Controls | Physical buttons (customizable via Skull-iQ app) |
| Special features | Skull-iQ app, onboard EQ & presets, voice control (“Hey Skullcandy”), Share Audio, Tile™ finding |
| Microphones | Dual noise-reducing mics (call support) |
| Charging | USB-C (charging case) |
| Weight | Earbud ≈ 5.5 g each; Case ≈ 53 g |
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Price & Variants
Skullcandy positions the Grind firmly in the affordable category. The MSRP sits around $80, but these frequently dip to $60 on Amazon and other retailers.
At this price point, you’re competing with Anker’s Soundcore lineup, JBL’s lower mid-range buds, and a handful of budget-friendly ANC options.
You get four color choices — dark grey, light grey, blue, and black — and Skullcandy’s usual youthful aesthetic.
If you like minimal, they’re not flashy, but they’re unmistakably Skullcandy.
Design, Build & Comfort
The case is the first thing you’ll notice. It’s bigger and bulkier than many competing TWS cases, mostly due to the large battery inside.
The matte finish looks clean enough and, after a few weeks of pocket-carry, I can confirm it’s more durable than premium-feeling cases that scratch easily. The only downside is that it’s not a one-handed flip-friendly design.
The earbuds themselves follow Skullcandy’s rounded, chunky style, complete with physical buttons instead of touch panels.
I personally don’t mind this — in fact, I prefer buttons because touch controls tend to misfire, especially when I’m sweaty during workouts.
Pressing the Grind’s buttons doesn’t jam the earbuds deep into your ears either, which is a relief.
Despite the bulky look, they’re lightweight and surprisingly comfortable for long sessions. Just make sure you pick the right ear tip size, or they won’t feel as secure.
Water Resistance
The Grind carry an IP55 rating, which is perfect for gym use, outdoor runs, and rainy commutes.
I got caught in two light rain sessions while testing them — no issues at all. Sweat also doesn’t bother them.
Not swimming-safe, but absolutely workout-safe.
Skull-iQ App & Smart Features
This is where the Grind completely separate themselves from other budget earbuds.
Skullcandy ditched their old basic app and replaced it with the Skull-iQ platform, which feels more premium than you’d expect at this price. And there’s a lot going on here:
1. Full Button Customization
You can change:
- single press
- double press
- triple press
- long press
I assigned a long press to trigger my phone’s camera shutter — and it actually comes in handy.
2. Voice Controls
This isn’t your normal assistant. It’s Skullcandy’s own control system.
You can say:
- “Hey Skullcandy, volume up”
- “next track”
- “play Spotify”
- “accept call”
- “activate stay-aware mode”
Surprisingly, it works consistently without having to shout.
3. Stay-Aware Mode
Skullcandy’s version of transparency mode. There’s:
- adjustable intensity
- natural ambient sound
It’s not as clean as premium ANC earbuds, but it works well for awareness during runs or walking on busy roads.
4. Custom EQ
Probably the most important part.
You get:
- Music / Podcast / Movie presets
- Full manual EQ
- Personalized sound test
- Hardware-level EQ that stays even if you switch devices
This is a rare feature at this price. I boosted mids and slightly toned down treble — and the improvement was instantly noticeable.
5. Share Audio
If someone else has a Skull-iQ product, you can sync both earbuds to one phone and listen together. Works surprisingly well.
6. Tile Tracking
Lose your earbuds? The Tile integration lets you ring them or check their last location.
Overall, this app easily competes with earbuds twice the price.
Sound Quality
Skullcandy is known for its bass-first signature, and the Grind follows that formula.
Bass
The bass is deep and full with a noticeable rumble — more than most earbuds in the sub-$100 category. If you like EDM, hip-hop, or pop, you’ll instantly enjoy these.
Mids
The mids are slightly recessed out of the box. Vocals sit behind the bass sometimes, especially in heavy music EQ mode. This is where custom EQ saves the experience — a small mid bump balances things nicely.
Treble
Treble is boosted by default. It gives the sound energy but may feel sharp for treble-sensitive listeners. Again, easily fixable with EQ.
Soundstage
Not particularly wide, but enjoyable for movies and gaming.
Latency
Very minimal delay in YouTube, Netflix, and general playback. Casual gaming is fine; competitive gaming isn’t what these are built for anyway.
Overall, the Grind delivers a fun, energetic sound that’s perfect for everyday users and bass enthusiasts.
Microphone Quality
Call quality is… average. The mic picks up your voice fine indoors, but outside noise can bleed through. The person on the other end might hear some environmental echo.
Voice commands, however, work impressively well despite the mic limitations.
Battery Life
If there’s one area where Skullcandy absolutely nails it, it’s battery performance.
- 9 hours on a single charge
- 31 additional hours from the case
- 40 hours total playback
- 10-minute charge = 2 hours playtime
In real use, I hovered around 8–9 hours per session, depending on volume and EQ settings.
For earbuds under $100, this battery endurance is one of the best in the category.
What’s Missing?
The biggest missing feature is Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
The Stay-Aware (transparency) mode is useful, but without ANC, these struggle in loud environments. If ANC is a must for you, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
To be honest, spending around $80 on earbuds without ANC in 2025 just isn’t worth it anymore.
There are plenty of options under $50 from brands like Soundcore, TOZO, and EarFun that offer ANC, better features, and more modern performance.
But if you really love Skullcandy’s style and tuning, it’s smarter to skip the older Grind model and check out their newer releases — you’ll get far better value and a much more up-to-date feature set.
Best Deal: View on Skullcandy
Nick, the Co-founder of Earbuds Arena, is a seasoned freelance tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering wearables, apps, headphones, and gadgets. When he’s not immersed in the tech world, you’ll likely find him unwinding with video games, going for a run, or enjoying a game of soccer on the field.
